Category Archives: FOOD TYPES

Chynna at the KL Hilton – dim sum

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Whenever the Bald Eagle and I have dinner at KL Hilton, we invariably end up at Iketeru. After much grumbling on my part, especially after seeing Boolicious and WMW rave about Chynna, I finally got the opportunity to dine there. After church service today, and some deception on the part of the Bald Eagle (who told me we were having dim sum at Taman Connaught, much to my disdain as I was inappropriately dressed for outdoor dining…the heat is just so unbearable these days), I was naturally quite excited when I was informed of the “change in plans”.

Chynna at the KL Hilton
Located on the 5th floor of the KL Hilton, this restaurant can be described in one word as opulent. Beautiful cushioned seats drenched in rich hues of deep purple, red and green welcomed us, or at least our butts, as we sank into the chairs. We were served a welcome drink by a chap, known as the tea master, with a pigtail wearing a blue brocade chinese outfit carrying a teapot (which looked more like a watering can!) with a metre-long spout. Quite dramatic. 🙂 Teh tarik, chinese style.

The dim sum selection here is a lot more extensive than at Li Yen (Ritz Carlton, KL). I was initially under the impression that this restaurant was non-halal, as the waitress mentioned char siew pau. But after looking at the menu, I noticed that there were no pork dishes, so I guess she said it for easy identification of dishes.

Yam Croquettes with Minced Chicken and Mushroom
The yam croquettes with minced chicken and mushroom had nice chunks of chicken in it and a slightly distinctive taste of butter. It was more like a whiff rather than an in-your-face taste, which was perfect.

Pan fried turnip cake with chicken floss
I usually enjoy fried turnip cake, but the pan-fried turnip cake with chicken floss which we were served here was too soft and mushy to be enjoyable. There were absolutely no crunchy bits in it, and I can imagine how excited toothless people will be with this dish.

Prawn dumpling
So my picture of the prawn dumplings isn’t so great, but I blame it on the lighting. Opulence always comes with dim lights to accentuate the eerie appearance of the entire decor. The prawn dumpling, on the other hand, was wonderful as the prawn filling was fresh and crunchy.

Oven Baked HK Barbequed Chicken Bun
The dish I enjoyed most this afternoon was the oven baked Hong Kong barbequed chicken buns. The bun was soft and fluffy with a crust that was almost cake-like in appearance and flaky. The sweet bun was a good foil for the savoury chicken filling.

Canadian cod fish topped with ginger and garlic
The Canadian cod fish topped with ginger and garlic was lovely too. The finely minced ginger and garlic concoction went well with the firmly textured cod.

Shrimp and scallop topped with tobiko roe
The shrimp and scallop dumpling topped with tobiko roe was very refreshing due to the addition of what appeared like thinly sliced chives in the dumpling. Besides, it’s hard not to like the combination of prawns and scallops, both of which were steamed to perfection.

Octopus mousse dumpling rolled with golden thread
Our final dish, which we ordered as an afterthought, was grandiosely named octopus mousse dumpling rolled with golden thread. In layman’s terms, they’re sotong balls. 🙂

Chynna at the KL Hilton
Service, was of course, excellent, with waiters and waitresses constantly changing our plates and asking us if we wanted to order more.

Chynna
Level 5, Hilton Kuala Lumpur
3 Jalan Stesen Sentral
Kuala Lumpur Sentral, 50470 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +60 3 2264 2264

Scoop Ten Dessert House, Sungei Wang Plaza

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I’ve always been fascinated with Sungei Wang Plaza. This is the place to go to if you don’t want to visit a replica of 15 other malls in the city. You can find anything from the cute to the extravagant, from trendy harajuku fashion to goth.

On the 6th floor of Sungei Wang Plaza is a little-known gem. No, I’m not talking about Green Box Karaoke where Jay Chou wannabes congregate. Neither am I referring to the shop selling the multi-coloured bikinis.

On the far end of the 6th floor, right next to the lifts, is a tong sui (chinese desserts) shop. The leaflet advertises the following (presumably direct translation from chinese): Desserts: Mark Jook, Ma Tai Lu, Mook See, Kufar Sam Su, Fun See, Mei Fun Min, Choon Fun, Put Chi Koo, Nasi Lemah, Loxi Fun Egg Tar, Wokok and Cared Kuih. *grin* If you can get past the ludicrous spelling, be prepared for a treat.

tong sui
If you do visit this place, you must try the tong sui. I had the pak kor foo chuk yee mai (gingko barley with foo chuk dessert) which, despite being a little watery, was full of flavour and not too sweet.

bak chang
char siew pau

Because it was lunch time, we decided to try the savoury items on the menu. Barbie had the bak chang, while Eeyore and I tried the char siew pau which had a substantial amount of pork filling which was not over-minced.

porridge
I also ordered a bowl of porridge which was served with lean meat, century egg and yau char kway. The generous portion of finely sliced ginger and spring onions, and a dash of sesame oil enhanced the flavour of the porridge. I was certainly pleased with this find.

It’s no wonder that Eeyore used to frequent this place twice a day for tong sui.

Scoop Ten Dessert House
No. 6F-38, 6th Floor, Sungei Wang Plaza, KL.

Heun Kee, Pudu – Claypot Chicken Rice

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Jalan Yew is always bustling with traffic, thanks to the market located a short distance down the road from the roundabout. I’ve never seen a day when there isn’t a traffic jam, and the traffic is at its peak on weekends when housewives and working adults jostle each other to get the best deals at the market. Along the road, owners of shops selling tidbits, hardware, pets, prayer items and other interesting wares carry on their daily lives with a slowness that doesn’t reveal their true grit to survive in a fast-paced city.

In the past, I’ve blogged about two giants: Mei King with its lam mee and Hup Yick with its ginger wine chicken. Today, the focus will be on Heun Kee which is located in a corner nearest to the roundabout. You can’t miss it as you will be greeted with several charcoal stoves propping claypot receptacles as a couple of young girls man the pots.

Our anticipation was clear as the claypot was placed in front of us. Having heard so much about the claypot chicken rice here, we expected nothing less than perfection. In the past, high expectations have led to disappointment. But it doesn’t stop me from getting that tingling sensation – after all, how can one control one’s feelings? Tell myself to shut up and not think about it? I only end up thinking about it even more.

Claypot chicken rice
As I stirred the rice with all its condiments and meats, I knew that I was in for a treat. The rice was fluffy, each grain whole and separate, and there was a generous portion of chicken, lup cheong (chinese sausage) and salted fish. A faint aroma of sesame wafted. Topped with chopped spring onions, it was probably one of the best claypot chicken rice dishes I had ever eaten.

Pig's stomach and white pepper soup
We couldn’t resist ordering a bowl of pig’s stomach in white pepper soup which we thought was rather good. The pig’s stomach was not overcooked, nor did it have a rubbery texture. Being a person who enjoys her soup, I had no trouble finishing it up.

Business Hours: 11.00am – 9.30pm.
Closed every 1st and 3rd Thursday.
Open on public holidays.